Dutmer and Burke unite to help Ozuna

Helen Dutmer and Lynda Billa Burke have a long, complicated political history on the South Side.

In 1977, Dutmer successfully challenged Burke's dad, Bob Billa, an old friend, for his City Council seat. Fourteen years later, when Dutmer moved to the Commissioners Court, she recommended Burke as her replacement on the council.

Within a few months, however, Burke's brother, Bob Billa Jr., briefly floated the idea of challenging Dutmer for her county commissioner seat, leaving Burke torn between family loyalty and professional gratitude.

Between the two of them, Dutmer and Burke held the District 3 council seat for 20 straight years. They've both managed to make their way through the political meat grinder without losing their bluntness or their low threshold of indignation. These days, they're coming together in support of District 3 incumbent Leticia Ozuna.

Ozuna's challenger, Rebecca Viagran, lined up endorsements from the last five District 3 council members and has made much of her deep family roots on the South Side. But Ozuna's two high-profile endorsements surely will carry some weight with residents still trying to sort out the race.

“She's a broad thinker,” Burke says of Ozuna. “She's run a business, she's well-educated and every time we've had a conversation, it's nothing to do about her. She's always excited about how you can make something better.”

Burke, 59, reached out to Ozuna last year, during a zoning battle between residents and developers over the future of the defunct Pecan Valley Golf Course, which was built by Burke's father-in-law. The battle resulted in a compromise that frustrated some constituents, but Burke says Ozuna faced intense pressure at a time when she was new to the job.

“Everybody goes through a learning curve,” Burke says. “I mean, I was raised in city politics, and I still had a lot to learn.”

Dutmer, 92, dismisses the importance of Viagran's South Side political connections, but manages to do so in her typically self-deprecating way.

“Those people are all has-beens,” she says. “Just like me.”

Rodriguez emerges in District 7

After briefly considering a run against Ed Garza for the San Antonio Independent School District board of trustees, Dr. Gloria Rodriguez has decided to challenge Cris Medina for his District 7 City Council seat.

“Maybe the voters are having buyer's remorse,” says Rodriguez, the founder of the AVANCE early learning academy. “Now they can go shop again.”

Rodriguez, a lifelong advocate for early childhood education (and a supporter of Mayor Julián Castro's Pre-K 4 SA program), made her political debut two years ago, when she finished only 26 votes short of making a runoff in District 7.

Rodriguez describes herself as a policy “visionary” and promises that she'll be a stronger, more assured candidate this time around.

SAWS' West Side surprise

Much of Thursday's San Antonio Water System rate-hike drama at the City Council went according to script. Carlton Soules proposed a smaller hike (6.4 percent) and was supported by fellow North Sider Elisa Chan. No one joined their cause, and SAWS got its requested 8.4 percent increase.

The lone surprise came from West Side Councilman David Medina, who quietly refused to support either the SAWS request or the Soules plan.

While Medina came away looking like a no-show on the issue, it might have helped him in District 5.

Medina often casts himself as an advocate for seniors, and he had nothing to gain by voting for a rate increase on a day when Lourdes Galvan, his former nemesis, begged the council — on behalf of seniors and low-income residents — to deny SAWS' request.

For what it's worth, Medina is the lone member of the council who can tell voters that he refused to vote for a SAWS rate increase this year.